(Newser)
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Jimmy Carter's mission to Pyongyang has been a success. The former president flew out of North Korea today with Aijalon Mahil Gomes after securing the American citizen's release yesterday, the AP reports. Kim Jong Il released Gomes at the request of Carter, who was traveling as a private citizen, said a Carter Center spokeswoman. "President Carter’s trip was a private, humanitarian, and unofficial mission solely for the purpose of bringing Mr. Gomes home and reuniting him with his family," said a State Department rep.

Korea's state-run media used the release as an opportunity to remind the world that doing so reveals its "humanitarianism and peace-loving policy," and added that "Jimmy Carter made an apology for American Gomes' illegal entry and gave him the assurance that such case will never happen again." And though it was a successful mission, one security expert warns that “we are running out of ex-presidents."

So now, do we encourage American religious zealots to purposely trespass into foreign lands, knowing if they get caught, some American celebrity will rescue them, and with plenty of press coverage?

Rocket448

Aug 27, 2010 11:57 AM CDT

The memory of my time serving in Habitat for Humanity is highlighted by a brief visit from Mr. Carter to our building site. His kind eyes and soft voice remain, for me, the most uplifting personal experience I have been blessed to ever have. I imagine I would feel much the same were I to meet Bishop Desmond Tutu. In retirement, Mr. Carter has done more for the US and the world than most Presidents do while in office. Well done, Mr. Carter. Well done.